Method of treating filamentary material and means therefor



June 12, 1934. G, L, BR W ELL 1,962,424-

METHOD OF TREATING FILAMENTARY MATERIAL AND MEANS THEREFOR I FilBd F Bb;8, 193 3 Sheets-sheet l a l I I /41 v [/41 5O 4 -50 l v 1 '1 F au Immlili- 3 June 12, 1934. BROWNELL METHOD OF TREATING FILAMENTARYMATERIAL AND MEANS THEREFOR Filed Feb. 8, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L w EJune 12, 1934.

l G. L. BROWNELL METHOD OF TREATING FILAMENTARY MATERIAL AND MEANSTHEREFOR Filed Feb. 8, 1950 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 12, 1934PATENT oFFicE METHOD OF TREATING FILAMENTARY MATERIAL AND MEANS THEREFORGeorge L. Brownell, Worcester, Mass. Application February 8, 1930,Serial No. 427,032

3 Claims.

The present invention relates'to an improved method of treatingpreformed filamentary material, such as twisted, braided or otherwisepre pared twines or cords of cotton, linen or otherv improved method bythe practice of which fila;

mentary material of the above indicated character may be uniformlytreated and stretched a predetermined amount to improve its tensilestrength before being wound on the carriers from which it is withdrawnas used for various purposes. The underlying principle of thepresentinvention resides in drawing filamentary material, such as twine or cordas it comes from a twisting or similar machine, through a liquidmaintained at a constant desired temperature and immediately thereafterstretching it a predetermined amount and winding the stretched materialon a suitable carrier under sufiicient tension to hold the stretch untilthe material has become permanently set by cooling and drying.

' The above and other advantageous-features of the inventionwillhereinafter more fully appear with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in whichl i Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of a portionof a machine for carryingout myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in front elevation showing one ofthestretching devices of Fig. 1

- on anenlarged scale.

Fig. 4 of Fig. 3 lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 4. l v

i Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the details of one ofthe devices for removing moisture from the thread prior to thestretching.

.Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating means for automaticallycontrolling the temperature of the liquid in which the material isimmersed. v i i a Like reference characters refer to like parts in thedifferent figures.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 the machine comprises a frame 1 inwhich is journalled a driving shaft 2 provided at one end with a pulley3 whereby the shaft 2 may be rotatably driven from a suitable source ofpower not shown. The frame 1 provides an upwardly extending bracket is asectionalview along the line 4- 4.

4 with oppositely projecting arms 5-5 each. supporting a spindle rail 6extending longitudinally of the frame 1. Each spindle rail 6 carries anumber of spindles 7, 7 inclined upwardly from the horizontal and eachspindle '7 loosely supports a spool 8 on which is wound thread 9 in thecondition that it comes from the twisting machine. As best shown in Fig.1, each thread spool 8 has associated therewith a moistening cylinder 10and a pair of stretching drums 11, and as all of the cylinders 10 anddrums ii are identical in construction only one cylinder 10 and pair ofdrums 11 will be described in detail.

As best shown in Fig. 2, each cylinder 10 is supported by a bracket 12carried by the frame 1 so as to maintain the cylinder 10 in a verticalposition, and the thread 9 from the spool 8 just above the cylinder 10is led downwardly into the open top of the cylindir 10 through asuitable guide 13 supported by a holder 13a carried by the frame 1. Atthe bottom of the cylinder 10 the thread 9 passes through a second guide14 which is carried at the end of a rod 15 slidable. in the guide holder13a, so that the guide 14 may be raised to pass the thread 9 through it.The guide 14 serves to reverse the direction of the thread 9, the thread9 leading upwardly through the open end of the cylinder 10 to asqueezing or liquid removing device 16, the details of which device willbe hereinafter more fully described. The open lower end of the cylinder10 communicates with a heating chamber. 10a in which is supported an.electrical heating element 17 by means of a plug connection 18 screwedinto the bottom of the chamber 16. Liquid is admitted to the bottom ofthe heating chamber 10a by means of a pipe 19 through a valve 19a andthe upper end ofthe cylinder 10 provides a pipe coupling 20 connected tothe inlet chamber 10a by vertical pipe 21. With the above describedarrangement it is apparent that the liquid is free to circulate betweenthe cylinder 10 and the pipe 21, and for the purpose of retaining theheat in the liquid within the cylinder 10 it is provided with a casing22 of insulating material.

In order to prevent liquid in the several cylinders 10 from overflowingthrough the open ends of the cylinders 10 and for maintaining the liquidin the several cylinders 10 at a constant level, all m the pipe 23 inexcess of the normal evaporation which takes place inthe cylinders 10,the supply pipe 23 provides an upwardly extending overflow pipe 25 whichdischarges into an open bowl 26 having an opening 27 at exactly thelevel at which it is desired to maintain the liquid in the severalcylinders 10, that is, a short distance below the tops of the cylinders.Obviously any excess liquid supplied to the system of cylinders 10 willflow from the bowl 26 into the overflow opening 27 and its dischargepipe 28.

For the purpose of maintaining the temperature in the liquid in all ofthe cylinders 10 substantially constant, and for preventing thetemperature from reaching a point which would be injurious to thethread, a control thermostat 29 is provided -in one of the pipecouplings 20 leading from the top of a cylinder 10. Since devices ofthis sort are well known in the art, the thermostat 29 is not shown indetail and it is sufficient for the present disclosure to state that thefunction of the thermostat 29 is to simultaneously disconnect all of theheating elements 17 from the source of power when the liquid in thecylinder 19 is heated above a certain temperature. One way ofaccomplishing this purpose is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig.7'which shows the electrical conductors 30 for supplying the severalheating elements 17 in parallel connected to the contacts 31 of anautomatic switch 32. The switch arms 33 are connected to the suitablesource of electrical energy indicated at 34 and normally the switch arms33 are held in engagement with the contacts 31 by a spring 35. Theswitch arms 33, however, are adapted to be opened by means of a plunger36 under the control of a solenoid 37, one terminal of which isconnected to the source 34 while the other terminal thereof is connectedto a contact 38 of the thermostat device 29. The thermostat 29 providesa movable contact 39 under the control of the thermostat element 40, andwhen the temperature of the liquid in a cylinder 10 exceeds apredetermined value, expansion of the thermo stat element 40 closes thecontacts 38 and 39. This energizes the solenoid 37,-thereby moving theswitch arms 33 out of engagement with the contacts 31 and deenergizingall of the heating elements 17.

When the liquid in the system has cooled off, the thermostat element 40contracts to separate the contact 39 from contact 38, therebydeenergizing the solenoid 37 and permitting the spring 35 to close theswitch 32 and again connect all of the heating elements 17 to the source34. From the foregoing, it is apparent that during the operation of thedevice the liquid in all of the cylinders 10' is maintained at asubstantially uniform temperature which is best suited forv soaking thethreads 9 passing through the cylinders the desired amount preparatoryto stretching the same, as will next be described.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the wet thread 9 fromeach cylinder 10 isadapted to be wound on a spool 41 after passing around a pair ofstretching drums 11, and, as indicated in Fig. 1, a separate spool 41 isprovided for each pair of drums 11. Each winding spool 41 is supportedby a spindle 42 providing an integral flange 43 which is adapted toimpart its rotation to the spool 41 by means of coupling pins 44. Thespindle 42 and its flange 43 are adapted to be rotatably driven from avertical shaft 45 by means of a suitable friction clutch 46 interposedbetween the shaft 45 and flange 43, the purpose of which is to providefor a certain amount of slippage between the shaft 45 and spindle 42during the winding operation. Each shaft 45 is driven from the maindrive shaft 2 through spur gears 47 and bevel gears 48, so that rotationof the drive shaft 2 causes all of the spindles 42 and spools 41 to bedriven in unison at the same speed.

Each pair of stretching drums 11 are adapted to be driven' in unisonwith the corresponding spool 41 at substantially the same speed, and tothis end the several pairs of drums 11 are mounted on spaced shafts 49rotatably supported in bearings 50 carried by a horizontal frame member51. The shafts 49 are driven in unison and in the same direction ofrotation, indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, by means of suitable gearing52 connected by a chain 53 to a sprocket wheel 54. on the drive shaft 2,so that stretching drums 11 are positively driven in unison with thewinding spools 41 which, however, are frictionally driven, as previouslydescribed.

As best shown in Fig. 5, the drums 11 of a pair are identical and eachdrum 11 provides a series of grooves 55, 55a, 55b, to 55e of differentdiameters with the grooves of the same diameter on the spaced drums 11in accurate alinement with each other. The moistened thread 9 from acylinder 10 passes directly upwardly through the liquid removing deviceto the smallest groove 55 of the foremostdrum 11, from which it passesto the corresponding groove 55 of the rear drum. The thread then passesback and forth between the drums in the other grooves 55a, 55b to 55cand finally leads from the groove 55:: of the foremost drum 11 to thespool 41," as clearly indicated in Fig. 2. As previously pointed out,the several pairs of drums 11 are positively driven in unison at thesame speed of rotation, and since the thread passes back and forth ingrooves of increasing diameter, it is evident that the peripheral speedat the bottom of the groove 55c is greater than at the bottom of thegroove 55 where the thread passes on to the drums. Consequently, thethread is subjected to a stretching action as it passes back and forthover the drums 11 before being wound on the spool 41, which isfrictionally driven at a speed sufficient to wind the thread tightlythereon, without losing the stretch.

In order to distribute'the thread evenly on a spool 41 as it is woundthereon, the several threads leading to the spools 41 pass over atraversing bar 56 which is adapted to have an up and down reciprocatorymovement imparted thereto, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. Thetraversing bar 56. is supported by vertical rods 57 slidably supportedby the frame 1 and a reciprocatory movement is adapted to be imparted tothe rods 57 by means of a chain 58 passing over a pulley 59. The chain58 passes downwardly to a collar 60 mounted on a shaft 61 which isadapted to have an oscillatory movement imparted thereto so as tointermittently wind and unwind the chain 58 on the collar 60. Obviously,any suitable means may be employed for obtaining oscillatory movement ofthe shaft 61, and,

as shown, this movement is obtained by means of a so-called manglemotion comprising a disk 62 mounted on the shaft 61 and providing pins63 cooperating with a star wheel 64 on a shaft 65.

Theshaft 65 is continuously driven from the drive shaft 2 by means ofsprocket wheels 66 and a chain 67, and rotation of the star wheel 64imparts a slow rotative movement to the disk 62 by cooperation with thepins 63. As is usual in motions of this sort, the direction of rotationof the disk 62 is reversed at the end of a partial revolution of theshaft 61 by means of guides 68, so that as the drive shaft 2 continuesto rotate the winding and unwinding of the chain 58 on the collar 60imparts a slow up and down motion to the traversing bar 56. Thistraversing motion distributes the winding of the threads 9 on the spools41 so as to form a more or less open winding on the spools 41 whichpermits the thread to dry more readily in its stretched condition.

As previously, pointed out, a thread in passing upwardly from a cylinder10 to a pair of stretching drums 11 is subjected to the action of amoisture removing device 16 which forms no part of the present inventionand may be of any desired construction. As best shown in Fig. 6 themoisture removing device 16 comprises a pair of pins 69 slidablysupported in a bracket '70 along divergent axes so that the lower endsof the pins 69 are in abutting relation. The pins 69 are flattened at 71along their zone of contact, and each flattened surface '71 provides agroove 72, the grooves '72 being in alinement so as to inclose thethread 9 passing upwardly between the abutting surfaces of the pins 69.The bracket member is rigidly supportedin a suitable holder '72 andprovides a central passage 73 for the thread 9, the passage '73 beinglarge enough to provide plenty of clearance for the thread. A pressurecollar 74 is slidably mounted on the bracket '70 and provides oppositelyprojecting lugs 75 adapted to bear on the upper ends of the pins 69. Inorder to cause the collar 74 to exert a definite pressure on the pins, aweighted lever '76 cooperates witheach side of the collar '74, as shownin Fig. 4, each lever 76 being pivotally supported by means of a bracketarm 7'7 at a point adjacent to a lug '75 of the collar. As a result ofthe pressure simultaneously exerted on each pin 69, the thread 9 isclosely engaged by the sides of the grooves '72 so that as the wetthread 9 passes upwardly through the device 15, moisture is squeezed outof the thread and runs back into the cylinder 10. This action preventsexcess moisture from being carried upwardly onto the drums 11, andobviously the amount of pressure that is exerted on the thread can beregulated by positioning the weights 76a on the pressure levers '76.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that by the present invention thereis provided an improved method of treating preformed filamentarymaterial such as twisted or braided twines or cords, so that thematerial is uniformly stretched as it is withdrawn from one carrier andwound on another under sufficient tension to hold the stretch. Bydrawing the material through a heated liquid prior to the stretchingoperation, it is possible to stretch it the desired amount to improveits tensile strength, and since the stretched material is dried undertension, it is practically impossible to stretch it any further withoutexerting a force so great as to break the same. It has been found thatthread treated in accordance with the practice of my invention isgreatly superior in its qualities to unstretched'thread when used inmanufacturing operations which subject the material to a considerabletension and in which it is essential that the thread must not stretchafter being sewn, as in the manufacture of shoes.

I claim,

1. The improvement in the treatment of filamentary material, such astwine or cord, to increase its tensile strength, which consists inthoroughly wetting the material by submerging a considerable lengththereof in a hot liquid, progressively and uniformly increasing thedraft on the wet material as it emerges fromthe liquid to stretch thesame and thereafter winding the stretched material on a carrier undersufficient tension to hold the stretch therein while the material isdrying on the carrier.

2. The improvement in the treatment of filamentary material, such astwine or cord, to increase its tensile strength, which consists insubjecting the material to a soaking action for an appreciable period bydrawing it through a hot liquid maintained at a constant temperature,progressively and uniformly increasing the draft on the wet material asit emerges from the hot liquid to stretch the same and thereafterwinding the stretched material on a carrier under sufficient tension tohold the stretch therein while the material is drying on the carrier.

3. The improvement in the treatment of filamentary material, such astwine or cord, to increase its tensile strength, which consists insubjecting the material to a soaking action for an appreciable period bydrawing it through a hot liquid maintained at a constant temperature,removing excess moisture from the wet material as it emerges from theliquid and is subjected to a progressive and uniform increase of draftto stretch the same, and thereafter winding the stretched material on acarrier under sufficient tension to hold the stretch therein while thematerial is drying on the carrier.

GEORGE L. BROWNELL.

